Folding stool and step.



W. W. LINCOLN.

FOLDING SIOOL AND STEP. 'APPucAnou FILED MAR. 21. 1916.

1,325,302. I Patented Dec16,1919.'

UNITED STATES PATNT FFIC ii:

WARD w. LINooLN, or ROCK FALLS, ILLINOIS, essIGNoIt' To LINcoLN-rOn'rEB.MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, or s'rERLING, ILLINOIS.

' FOLDING STOOL AND STEP.

Specification of Letters iatent.

Patented Dec. 16,1919.

Application area March 27, 1916. SeriaI No. 86,879.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVARD lVJ LINCOLN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rock Falls, in the county of \Vhiteside and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FoldingStools and Steps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to folding stools and steps, of thatcharacter which are more specially designed for use in kitchens officesand other places where it is occasionally desired to reach articleswhich are located at such a height from the floor as not to be readilyattainable therefrom, and Where on account of the'limited amount ofspace in the room it is preferable to have the stool so constructed asto be capable of being reduced to a compact space when not in use. Indevices of this class it is important that they shall possess a maximumamount of rigidity when in use, and that at such times there shall be nopossibility of their accidental collapse, and it is particularly alongthe line of these requirements that my invention pertains, one of thepurposes thereof being toautomatically lock the parts of the stool inoperable position, against any possible chance of a casual closing ofthe parts thereof.

My invention is also of simple construction, and can be produced at acost little above that of an ordinary wooden stool of the non-foldingtype.

In the drawings: Figure 1 shows my invention in position when in use, inside elevation, with a portion of one of the legs broken away to betterdisclose some of the other parts. Fig. 2 is a similar view with thedevice in folded position. Fig. 3 is a detail of the upper part of myinvention, in partially closed position. Fig. at shows the brace 12,detached.

1 represents a top or seat, hingedly connected with the lower face ofwhich, as at 2, is a pair of front legs 3, united by one or more stepsa. A rear pair of legs 5 1s hingedly connected with the seat 1, as at 6,the front and rear pairs of legs being united by a pair of braces 7pivoted at their lower ends to the legs 5, as at a, and at their upperends to the legs 3, as at Z). By reason of the disposition of the hlnges2 and 6 on the rear faces of the legs 3 and 5, and the particulararrangement of the brace 7 it is possible for the seat 1 and legs 5 tobe folded downwardly into a compact position against the legs 3, asshown in Fig. 2. The braces 7 are preferably provided with bent portions8 to permit them to lie snugly against the legs 5 when folded.

Secured to the lower face of the seat 1 1s a bar 9, provided with anopening 10, terminating at its forward end in a recess 11, and pivotedto the legs 5 as at c is an arched brace 12 having a bar 13 capable ofengaging the recess 11 to hold the stool from closing. This results fromthe fact that in order to fold the hinged parts of the stool the anglebetween the seat 1 and legs 5 is necessarily increased, and the brace 12prevents any change in the relative position of such parts. Said bracealso assists the brace 7 in preventing the legs 3 and 5 from spreadingwhen in use, and also aids in rendering the parts of the stool morerigid, not only from a spreading action, but against any side torsion ortwisting thereof.

T o operate: When the device is opened the bar 13 of the brace 12 slidesalong the bar 9 until it drops into the recess 11 by force of gravity,all that is necessary in this Operation being to grasp the rear edge ofthe seat 1 with one hand and draw the same upwardly, causing the legs toseparate and the bar 9 to automatically lock the same when fully opened.To close the stool the bar 13 is raised until it is disengaged by therecess 11, whereupon the parts can be readily collapsed. By reason ofthe bar 13 being near the front edge of'the seat 1, it is in a positionto be naturally engaged by the hand of the operator in grasping the seatto raise the stool, the one operation thereby resulting in raising thestool for the purpose of moving or storing it, releasing the lockingdevices, and folding the stool into compact space.

It is obvious that when in use as a step, or short step-ladder, the seat1 comprises the upper step thereof. It will also be apparent that themetal parts of the device are few in number and simple, and can beeasily formed and put in place.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States, is:

A device of the character described, comprising a seat, a front pair oflegs hingedly connected with said seat and united at interrals by stepmembers; a rear pair of legs hingedly attached to said seat and foldablyconnected with said pair of legs; a bar on the lower face er said seat,provided at its forward end with a locking means; and a brace pivotallyconnected with said rear legs and provided with a member adapted toslide forwardly on said bar and engage the locking means thereof to holdsaid cle- 10 vice with the parts thereof in open position,

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 15 in the presence of twowitnesses.

WARD W. LINCOLN. Witnesses:

N. I-IAsKELL, FRANK W. HASKELL.

